Final Fantasy X2 Drabbles
by Ataramos
Summary: A series of short, unrelated stories in the X2 universe inspired by short quotes provided by a Livejournal Community.
1. Shooting Lessons'

**Shooting Lessons**

**Final Fantasy X-2 drabble**

**By Ataramos**

_If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time._

* * *

"What in all of Spira were you aiming at?" 

"The fiend!"

"You sure could have fooled me!"

"Look, Im sorry I hit you in the back."

"The back? Try lower."

A fit of giggles met this revelation. "Really?"

Bright green eyes scowled at the source of the giggling. "No, I'm holding it because Im afraid it'll fall off!"

Giggles turned into all out laughter, the one laughing barely able to breathe. "I..then...you should be glad they aren't real bullets!"

"Who thought to give you guns, anyway?"

"You did!"

Rikku muttered as she continued to glare at Yuna, who had to sit down in the sand she was laughing so hard. "Yeah, well...next time I stand -behind- you when I teach you how to use those things! Were you -really- aiming at the fiend?"

Yuna wiped the back of her eyes. "Okay, so I was kinda aiming at nothing." Her eyes shone with amusement as she eyed Rikku's backside, or relative lack of such, the younger girl still quite lanky and not quite having a more feminine form just yet. "Guess I can hit that!"

Her laughter echoed through the island as she fled from her cousin, the shooting lesson now quite forgotten.

* * *

Authors Note: 

Welcome to my drabbles! What's a drabble? A drabble is just a short little story based on a random inspiration, oft times never any longer than a page in Word. Each chapter will be a different drabble, it's own title, and the inspiration listed below the title in itallics. These came about when I joined a Livejournal community specifically desgined to inspire writers, at least a little bit each day, with the quote or statement that I'll include with the story. So far, there are currently only stories inspired by Final Fantasy X-2, but I suspect that there shall be some SailorMoon drabbles in the future. Hope you enjoy, and maybe you'll find some little bit of inspiration too.


	2. Sometimes You Just Have to Hit Things

**Sometimes You Just Have to Hit Things  
Final Fantasy X-2 drabble  
by Ataramos**  
_To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose, the next best.  
William M. Thackeray_

* * *

Paine wanted to hit things.

To say that she was seething would be an understatement. As usual, it was kept well below her cool exterior, but inside, it raged, like a fire threatening to burn out of control. Having been around Rikku and Yuna as long as she had had tempered her a bit, begun to break a few cracks into her, but there was one thing she knew she would always have to keep under wraps, and that was her fury. It would flare every time one of the others were badly injured in a fight against a fiend, or every time those she once called friends would show their lack of trust and seem to use the Gullwings for their own means, never telling her what was going on, other than to tell them to stay away. Yeah, she knew they were trying to protect her and the others, but really, screw that. Her original motive of seeking to learn of her past had now been overshadowed by the wish to make Yuna finally happy, and free Rikku from the burden she knew the young Al-bhed carried, and that meant finding the young man from Yuna's pilgrimage, and resolving the issue with Shuyin.

Shuyin. The current target of Paine's rage.

Watching Yuna sing, after the initial shock of Lenne's ghost popping out of her, brought forth the revelation that under all the twisted motives, and well, the want to destroy the world, Shuyin was simply another person denied his love. It was likely why Lenne was so attached to Yuna, aside from the Songstress sphere, because the former Summoner was truthfully in the same situation as the long dead singer.

Paine didn't want him to be a tragic villain.

She wanted him to be twisted, evil, have nothing but the destruction of the world as his motivation, not fueled by the pain of losing someone. It made him harder to hate. Yes, he still deserved everything they could throw at him to stop him, but now, she knew she couldn't do what she wanted to, which was punch him square in the face. Not that she had quite figured out how to punch a ghost, but still.

Afterwards didn't make things any better. Listening to Rikku and Yuna talk, she heard Rikku wonder if anyone in love could ever really win. Yuna, in her infinite wisdom far to great for someone her age, replied with something along the lines of how 'To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose, the next best', basically saying that no matter what, being in love was what mattered. Even if you lost, as it seemed Lenne and Shuyin had, and with each passing day, Yuna and Tidus.

So it made her want to hit things. Silently leaving the bar area of the cabin, she thought she snuck out unnoticed, making her way to the deck. Swinging her sword around, she paced about, muttering venomous nothings under her breath. She didn't hear the door open, or the soft footsteps make their way partly across the deck, pausing behind her, and well out of her swords reach.

"It's not fair, is it?"

Rikku's voice startled Paine out of her thoughts, the warrior swinging around and briefly holding her sword up, dropping into a calm stance once she saw the thief. "What isn't?"

Rikku walked past Paine once it became obvious she wasn't about to be cut in half, and leaned against the tail of the gull at the front of the ship. "That he's not just pure evil, like Seymore was."

Paine arched an eyebrow, turning and walking up near Rikku. "You feel the same?"

Nodding, Rikku glanced up at Paine. "I was kind of hoping that there wouldn't be anything emotional attached to all this...Yunie picks up too strongly on emotions..."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Paine looked out towards the horizon. "I'd almost say it's a fault, but it's honestly more of a strength."

"Yeah."

Silence fell over the two as they contemplated love, and the affects it had on people. After a bit, never one to hold still, Rikku sighed and pushed herself up from the ornament, pulling out her daggers. Paine arched an eyebrow. "What're those for?"

Rikku shrugged, the barest of smiles teasing at the corner of her lips. "Spar with me?"

Paine offered Rikku a half smile, stepping back a few paces and drawing her sword again. "Okay, but why?"

"Oh...sometimes you just have to hit things..."

Paine couldn't agree more.


	3. Time Flies

'Time Flies'

FFX-2 Drabble

PG

Rikku/Paine

---

Rikku stood in the doorway to the deck, being as quiet as she could be, looking out over the red metal of the Celsius. The deck hadn't lost it's shine over the years, the meticulous care that Buddy and Brother took with the ship showed in how it still gleamed like new, no sign of age on it at all. Glancing down at herself, Rikku idly thought of how she wished she could say the same of herself. Gone was the relieving outfit from her late teens, replaced with a -slightly- more conservative outfit, shorts that actually neared her knees, and a shirt that more closely resembled what Yuna used to wear rather than a bikini top. Her hair was still long, more often than not held in a braid now, the beads still woven into it, her bandana still present, something she was far to fond of to get rid of. The arm covers were gone, to the elbow fingerless gloves in their place, and a less...floppy, pair of boots on her feet. The years of continued sphere hunting had darkened her skin a bit more, laugh lines finally present around her eyes, and gave her a few scars, battle marks to reflect her risk taking nature. If she had been single, she might have been worried about them, but she wasn't, and her partner considered them fun to 'explore' when certain events took place.

Speaking of her partner, Rikku smiled as her eyes traveled over the figure sitting next to the bird at the front of the airship. Paine had loosened up over the years, the black leather replaced with black jeans and dress shirts, no matter how often Rikku tried to insert a little more color, -other- than red, it would always seem to revert back to black. Blue, she could sometimes get the warrior to wear, and she smiled a little wider to see the blue duster situated on the woman's shoulders. Paine's silver hair had gotten a touch more white over the years, Rikku anticipating it someday being as white as snow, and she finally got color to her skin, though compared to Rikku she was still almost ghostly. Much more personable, at least with the crew of the Celsius and with Rikku, Paine would often laugh and relax, getting serious only when the situations called for it. She had as many new scars as Rikku did, prouder of them than Rikku ever would be for her own. Though if asked, the thief would be quick to admit that she enjoyed the 'exploration' as much as Paine did on her.

Walking quietly up behind the woman, she smiled as she saw the slow smile spread over Paine's features, the dark clad warrior lifting her head and looking back at Rikku, turning slightly and holding her arms out. Rikku gladly settled into Paine's arms, settling back against her chest and starting to absorb warmth. Chuckling, Paine settled her chin on Rikku's shoulder, her arms securely wrapped about the woman's waist.

Closing her eyes, Rikku leaned her head back to Paine's shoulder. She smiled, nuzzling into Paine's neck and inhaling her familiar scent, murmuring softly after a few moments. "What're you thinking about, Muja?"

Paine didn't answer right away, something Rikku was long used to, knowing that the woman liked to take her time with her answers. Paine's voice was more of a rumble in her chest than a sound heard as she softly spoke in reply. "Us. It's been a crazy few years, hasn't it?"

Rikku laughed lightly, opening her eyes and looking up at Paine's profile. "Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it."

"Would you do it again?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Why?" Paine turned her head slightly, looking down at Rikku out of the corner of her eye.

Wrinkling her nose, Rikku reached up and pinched Paine's, getting a squeak and clack of teeth at her fingers in return. "Because I love you." She eyed the pale woman. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm afraid I'll finally someday hit the point where you grow bored, I guess." Paine shrugged her shoulders slightly. Rikku held back the quick, teasing reply, sensing the seriousness of the situation, instead leaning back slightly so that she could shift around and face Paine. Reaching up, she gently ran her fingers through Paine's still short hair, toying a little with the longer bangs. Cupping Paine's cheek, she directed the bright red eyes to look into her own.

"How could I ever get bored with you? Half the fun hasn't started yet."

Paine laughed softly. "Half the fun hasn't started? How do you figure?"

Rikku smiled and shrugged lightly, leaning in to brush her lips over Paine's. "I don't know, exactly. But I do know, that if you grow old along side of me, we've still to hit the best times of our lives. I figure we'll know it when we hit it."

Another slow smile spread over Paine's features, something Rikku -still- found sexy. "Promise?"

Rikku smiled, wrapping her arm up around Paine's neck, leaning in and pressing into a slow, loving kiss. After a few moments, she pulled back, emerald eyes locked on Paine's. She could swear that she could see the future within them, and it was a bright, and happy one. "I promise, with all of my heart."

"E muja oui, meddma dreav."

"E muja oui, cdnuhk fynneun."

The Celsius continued to glide silently through the clouds, the sun setting on the horizon, stars starting to dot the darkening sky. Two souls, forever entwined, basked quietly in their love for each other, the future bright and promising.

"...vunajan, Muja. Vuanjan."

---

_Translations: 'E muja oui' 'I love you'  
'meddma dreav' 'little thief'  
'cdnuhk fynneun' 'strong warrior'  
'vunajan' 'forever'_


End file.
